Can treating device



I 0, a. RUFUS CAN TREATING DEVICE Filed Oct. 14, 1940 i n 6 1 m T a M 4 Shets-Sheet 1 Inven for,

OTTO B- RUFUS 49M iv M A tiarneys 0. B. RUFUS CAN TREATING DEVICE Farah 16, 1948.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 14, 1940 arm 8. RUFUS IIII IIIIIII/l WIIIIIIIIIII/IIII/fi A Zia/Ways March 15, 1948. RUFUS I 2,437,757

cm TREATING DEVICE Filed oct; 14, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet s u u H I U In UenZa orro B. RUFUS Fig.5

Aiforrzeys March 16, 194. Q, RUFUS 2,437,757

CAN TREATING DEVICE 'Filed Oct. 14, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 O F (U LI (0 Z L i w lnverzior;

orro awn-"us AZZorneys.

Patented Mar. 16;, 1948 PATENT OFFICE CAN TREATING DEVICE Otto B. Rufus, Chicago, 111., assignor to The Lathrop-laulson Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application October 14, 1940, Serial No. 361,117

1 Claim.

of the cans themselves. The invention deals particularly with special control mechanism by which the flow is effected when the can being treated has reached a certain position.

An object of the invention is to provide control mechanism which is quick and positive in action and which avoids frictional contacts at critical parts of the mechanism. A further object is to provide mechanism which is easily set in motion so that only slight pressure exerted by a can will condition the mechanism for efiective operation. Another object is to provide valves for controlling the flow of treating fluid and which are operated by direct thrust mechanism so that there is a minimum of friction in use and positive action. It is further desired that the mechanism for operating the valves be powered from a source independent of contact with the cans. Other objects and advantages will become apparent after the following detailed description.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a broken plan view showing the can actuated mechanism; Fig. 2, a transverse sectional view of the device, the section being taken at line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail view of the valve and valve actuating mechanism, the view being taken as seen from line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a second detail view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a second valve and valve operating mechanism; Fig. 5, a view in elevation of the continuously operating mechanism for powering the valve operating means; Fig. 6, a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5; and Fig. '7, a broken detail view of one part of the power transfer means, the view being taken as seen from line 7-1 of Fig. 6.

As illustrated, the device includes a frame A providing a can track; a conduit system B for delivering treating liquid to a can being treated; valve operating mechanism 0 which is periodically active but not normally engaged for effective operation; and can actuated mechanism D which conditions the valve operating mechanism 0 to operate effectively.

The frame A may be of any suitable construction and supported in any suitable way. As here shown, it includes the side rails Ill and the track II. In this embodiment the construction is such that the cans to to be treated may be slid successively along the track ll into treating posi- 2 tion. However, any other construction, such as a moving conveyor system, might be used to pass the cans along a prescribed path through the machine. l

The conduit system B is provided for delivering the treating flmd to the cans and this also may take any desired form. The treating fluid may be soap water, soda water, steam, or any other desired treating fluid. One end of the conduit system such as pipe 12 is connected to a pressure source of the treating fluid, not shown. The delivery end of the system includes the pipe 13 which extends to the nozzle Kid in proximity to a can at one position along the track H. Controlling the flow of fluid through system B is the valve 14. As seen more clearly in Fig. 3, valve It is of a type provided with a spring-pressed plunger It. The plunger is normally in extended position so as to hold the valve in closed position. Inward movement of the plunger 15 serves to open the valve to permit the flow of fluid through the conduit.

The reciprocating valve operating mechanism C is employed for operating plunger H3 at the desired times to permit flow of treating fluid through the valve. Referring more particularly to Fig. 3, mechanism C comprises a rod it which is moved longitudinally in a reciprocating movement by means which will soon be described. To this rod are secured the ring members 11 and I8 which extend downwardly at their lower sides and carry the pivoted member [9. Member I9 has its keyed end pins 4i and 42 extending through the ring members and is thus held for pivotal movement transversely of the frame. The lower portion of member l9 carries a plunger contact member 20 which may be a bolt engaging a tapped hole and secured by the nut 2|. It will be apparent that when nut 2| is loosened, the member Zil may be turned to adjust it longitudinally for position relative to the end of the valve plunger l5.

The power means for driving the mechanism C is more clearly understood with reference to Figs. 5 and 6. A rod 22 has its one end carried by the bracket 23 in such a manner that the rod may move freely along its longitudinal axis. The other end of rod 22 is pivotally connected to arm member 24 which is secured to the transverse shaft 2'5 carried in frame brackets 26. As the rod 22 moves longitudinally back and forth it is apparent that the transverse shaft 25 will be given a rotating motion. To give rod 22 its longitudinal motion a cam 2'! is provided. This cam is mounted in frame 28 and is continuously rotated through shaft 40 by a power source not shown. It contains the cam roller track 29 which is circular but for the inturned portion 30. A stud and roller 3| carried on rod 22 engage the cam roller track 29, so that as the cam rotates, the rod is urged forwardly and back each time the stud and roller traverse the inturn portion of the cam roller track.

The transverse shaft 25 carries at its end opposite the rod 22 a second arm 32 to which the rod I6 is pivotally attached. As will appear more clearly from Figs. 7, 3 and 4, the reciprocating movement of this rod l6 then serves to move the individual valve actuating mechanisms at various stations along the path of the cans as they move through the device. Here it may be observed that the valve operating mechanism C, as shown in Fig. 4, duplicates the mechanism C shown in Fig. 3, and that these two mechanisms are moved 'by the same rod [6.

As before described, the pivoted member I!) of the valve operating mechanism C is transversely movable. A main purpose of this is to allow the plunger contact member to be moved into and out of alignment with the valve plunger I5. A weighted arm 33 is secured to the pivoted member l9 and normally serves to hold the contact member 20 out of alignment with plunger 15. However, when this arm is raised, member I9 is returned to bring member 20 back into alignment with the plunger.

The can actuated mechanism D which conditions the valve operating mechanism C for effective operation, includes the rocker shaft 34 which is carried transverse of frame A. Secured to this shaft are the fingers 35 and 36 which are here illustrated as metal strips and which extend to a position above the track H. As a can moves along the track in the direction of arrow 31 in Fig. 1, the can contacts and depresses these fingers which causes the shaft to be turned. At one end of this shaft is an arm 38, and as the shaft is turned this arm engages and raises the weighted arm 33 so as to bring the valve operating mechanism C into efiective engagement.

The second valve operating mechanism C operates a second valve Ma which controls a second conduit system, not shown, for delivering treating fluid at a second position along the path of the cans through the machine. This second system is controlled independently of the first by separate can actuated conditioning means located at a different position along the can track, and is associated with the first system only in that it has the valve operating mechanism activated by the common power source. As many difierent conduit systems may be employed as desired.

When the device is ready for operation, the cam member 21 is in rotation and operates to periodically move the rod 22 in reciprocating movement so as to rotate the transverse shaft 25 in a corresponding rotating movement. Shaft 25 converts this movement to a periodic reciprocating movement of the rod It. The back and forth movement of the contact member 20 of the valve operating mechanism, however, does not then serve to open and close the valve l4, since the weighted arm 33 holds this member out of alignment with the valve plunger l5. The valve operating mechanism C is thus out of engage ment and ineffective at this time.

As the cans to be treated are moved along the track H in the direction of arrow 37, the fingers 35 and 35 are depressed with the result that the rocker shaft 34 is turned so that its arm 38 raises the weighted arm 33 to bring the plunger contact member 20 again back into alignment with the valve plunger. Then the next advancing movement of the contact member 20 presses the valve plunger inwardly to open the valve and pass treating fluid through pipe [3 to the can which is engaging the fingers 35 and 36. Alternatively, however, the arrangement may be such as to deliver the treating fluid to cans at other positions on the track instead of to the can which is operative for depressing the fingers.

Cans farther advanced in movement along track II will contact and depress a second set of fingers 35 which operates to condition the second valve operating mechanism C and so deliver to this can, or a can at some other position along the track, a treating fluid suitably of a different character from the first.

Only slight pressure is required to be exerted by the cans for depressing the fingers 35 and 36 and by means of the conditioning mechanism the positive acting valve operating mechanism is engaged for effective operation. A relatively short, quick thrust is used for actually opening the valve. This mechanism has an important advantage in that the movement for opening the valve is a direct thrust which avoids any frictional engagement at the valve and minimizes wear within the valve itself. The valve is held open as long a time as possible so that the can and cover will get all the treatment possible. The valve is closed only a short time, that is, when the lip of the can is not over jet 13. It will also be noted that the reciprocating or actuating mechanism operates without springs.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for purposes of explanation only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, it being apparent that many changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the device without departing from the spirit of the invention I claim:

A can treating device comprising a frame including a track on which cans are moved for treatment, conduit means for delivering fluid to a can at one position along said track, conduit means for delivering fluid to a can at another position along said track, each of said conduit means being equipped with a valve having a plunger which is movable to open the valve and release treating fluid through the conduit means, a bar extending longitudinally of said track and mounted for reciprocal longitudinal'movement, means for driving said bar in reciprocating movement, separate actuating means pivotally supported by said bar adjacent each of said valve plungers and movable longitudinally with said bar, each of said actuating means being arranged to operate the adjacent plunger to open the valve carrying the same when the actuating means is turned to one angular position and moved longitudinally by the movement of the bar, a weighted arm connected to each of said pivotallymounted actuating means and normally holding the actuating means in an angular position wherein the actuating means is not effective to open the adjacent valve, a rocker shaft associated with each of said weighted arms and adapted to be actuated to support the weighted arm, each of said rocker shafts being associated with a finger extending normally above said track and adapted to be depressed by a can moving along said track, the depression of said finger actuatmg said rocker shaft to support the weighted arm UNITED STATES PATENTS whereby said pivotally-mounted actuating means Number Name Date is turned to said one angular position to operate 1 255 896 Lathrop et a1 Feb 12 1918 the adjacent valve upon reciprocating movement Taylor 1919 of the bar and the actuating means supported 5 1453738 Wolf May 1923 thereby- 604 505 valuin 5Z1 T I: Oct 26 1926 OTTO RUE 1,687,791 Price Oct, 16, 1923 REFERENCES CITED 1,733,142 Thacher, J1. Oct. 29, 1929 1,919,965 Taylor July 25, 1933 The following references are of record in the 10 24,61,180 Williams NW 17, 1936 file 0f this Patent! 2,283,679 Lathrop May 19, 1942 

